Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Tara Davies has spent the last 12 years in Atlanta building an envious resume DJing at every party and venue of note for the city’s hip set. Since 2010 she’s held court every Saturday night at the legendary MJQ with her pop-spectacle dance party HeartBeeps, claiming the title of the club’s first female resident DJ. The wild abandon you feel when your favorite song comes on is the feeling that drives HeartBeeps.

But if Pop isn’t a mere guilty pleasure for Davies, neither is it the extent of her DJing skills and interests. Her sets, locally and abroad, seamlessly move through many genres - funk, disco, hip-hop, new wave, and even ambient and experimental electronic music. She’s a lifelong deep listener of the old and the new, the familiar and the strange. She funneled this passion into creating a former monthly house/disco party, Club Soda, at The Music Room (RIP). With an expertly curated, diverse roster of guest DJs, this was the no-nonsense, for-dancers-only energy of the underground without the self-seriousness. Like HeartBeeps, this was a crucial addition to Atlanta nightlife and speaks to Taradactyl’s commitment to pushing the dance floor. If you prefer a vintage rock experience, you can find Taradactyl spinning classic rock essentials and deep cuts at her latest Atlanta hit party, Hot Blooded.

During the pandemic, she expertly pivoted her djing to virtual parties and Twitch streams, reaching new audiences around the world, and even played Addison Groove’s famed Barrelfest. Most recently, she can also be heard playing the High Fidelity game - ranking albums, songs, and more - with cohost Natalie White on the podcast, Record Store Society.

Follow Taradactyl on Resident Advisor and other social media (see footer).